Handcart step or curb jack



D. 23, 1943. A. J. 5. RIDEOUT- 2,337,683

HANDCART STEP on CURB JACK Filed May. 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 vInventor flrilurJS EJ218010? Dec. 28, 1943. A J, a RIDEQUT 2,337,683

HANDCART STEP OR CURB JACK Filed ma 50, 1942 2 Sheets-Shed 2 Ia Elk6020i ney:

Patented Dec. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in handcarts, and moreparticularly to means to be incorporated in a handcart to enable thehandcart to be pulled up over a curb or over a stair step by one manwhen loaded, so as to eliminate the necessity for extra assistance ingetting the loaded handcart up over a curb or up a flight of stairs, andthe primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicientarrangement of the character indicated.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom a reading of the following description taken in connection with theappended drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration a preferredembodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of a stairway showing thedevice of the invention applied thereto in the initial approachposition.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the device in intermediate position.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the device in final position similarto the approach position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the improved handcart.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional viewtaken through Figure 4 along the line 5-5 and looking toward the left inthe direction of the arrow.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generallydesignatesthe improved handcart which has a general conventional formincluding side rails B with suitable cross members 1 and an axle 8 atthe lower ends of the rails equipped with ground-engaging wheels 9outside of the rails 6. In accordance with the present invention exactlysimilar jack plates H] are mounted to slide along the outer surfaces ofthe side rails 6 between the side rails and the wheels 9 as indicated inFigure 5 of the drawings, with a longitudinal slot ll formed in theplates, with the edges of the slot l l bearing upon a roller bushing 12circumposed on the axle 8. Contractile helical springs l3 are stretchedbetween anchors M on the outer side of the rail 6 at a point ofsufiicient elevation above the upper portions of the plates If] so thatthe plates H] are normally lightly suspended with the toe portions l5thereof engaging the ground surface It just in advance of the wheels 9in the ordinary uptilted position of the handcart, as illustrated inFigures 1 and 3 of the drawings. The lower edge of the toe portion I5 isbeveled as indicated by the numeral l5 so as to slightly offset theefiective part of the toe portion [5.

The upper part and the lower edge of the plates H! are expanded andenlarged to provide the stops ll which are characterized by a relativelylong straight lower edge l8 projecting at an obtuse angle from the loweredge of the main portion of the plate ID, the upper part of the stop andthe upper part of the plate being symmetrically rounded as indicated bythe numeral l3, with a notch [9 formed in the lower corner.

In using the device of the invention the handcart 5, conventionallyloaded, is brought in an uptilted position to the steps 20 so that thestops i l, and more particularly the notches l9 thereof engage thecorner 2| of the first step, as indicated in Figure l of the drawings.The cart is then drawn upwardly, leaving the toe portions 1 5 and thestops I! still engaged with the floor I6 and the first step corner 2|,respectively, so that the wheels 9 engage the first step corner 2 Ialongside of the stops IT, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.This involves a downward displacement of the plates l0 with consequentstretching of the springs l3, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of thedrawings. The wheels 9 are then pulled up over the first step corneronto the step to the position indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. Asthe wheels 9 are drawn over said corner, and under slight downwardtilting of the side rails 6, the stops I7 are pulled up over said cornerand the plates ID are snapped upwardly, by the springs l 3, into normalretracted position, in which the notches It may be engaged by downwardtilting of the rails 6 with the edges of the second step 29, as shown inFigure 3. The operations described may be repeated, until the stairwayhas been climbed, quickly and without diificulty. It is obvious that thelength of the slot I I must be proportioned to permit the actiondescribed.

Although there is shown and described herein a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it is to be understood that it is not desired to limitthe application of the invention thereto except as may be required bythe scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A handcart, comprising spaced longitudinal rails, means spacing andconnecting said rails, an axle journaled on and between the lower endsof the rails, ground engaging wheels on the ends of said axle, jackplates lying along the sides of said rails at the lower ends thereof,said jack plates terminating at their lower ends in toes for engagingthe ground behind the wheels, said jack plates being formed withlongitudinal slots slidably receiving said axle, stair step engagingstops formed on the upper part of said jack plates for engaging the faceand corner of a step, and spring means yieldably resisting downwarddisplacement of the jack plates and acting to retract the jack plates toinitial position after displacement.

2. A handcart according to claim 1 wherein said jack plates are situatedbetween the wheels and the outer sides of the said rail.

3. A handcart according to claim 1 wherein said stops comprise dependingplate-like portions having curved edges facilitating rolling the stopsover the step corner in moving the handcart from one ste to the nextabove step.

ARTHUR J. S. RIDEOUT.

